No treatments for me.
Comments
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Hey ladies! Checking in from the ME to see how everyone is doing and first of all, I was mad about Cindy's hospice providers making diagnosis, please - that is not what they are there for, or to make idle threats about health prognosis if you don't move around, etc. UGH. As for the family member drama, I've heard of that happening in other cases where it all starts becoming about them..selfish and childish, but it happens. Poor Cin. Then I kept reading and see that she is home, yay! No place like home. Hugs to all of you!
Well things are cooling down here, only felt like 110 yesterday and compared to 123, that's almost chilly, LOL! Crazy place over here, a mixture of very old, ancient traditions and stuff and the extremely modern. We're all getting the education of a lifetime. Hubby very busy as things heat up/cool down, rhetoric, talking heads, etc. Of course we don't want to go into Syria. Let's all pray that doesn't happen.
Linda, my gardening is starting this week, yay! I have a neighbor a few houses down who transformed her desert landscape into an amazing little respite. The compound walls are high so we get some full sun, some shade and mixed light. The sun sets here at 5:45 now, never could have predicted that at all! Of course it's up at 5 (but I'm not :-) and things start to bake...
Guess that's all from here, ladies. I am praying for no health problems over here, I am wayyyyy too far from home. Trying to use the opportunity here to drop some weight and be more active, and eat less/better food. Lots of fresh stuff here, not much is processed, so going with the fresh fruit and veggies as much as possible. Of course there is McDonalds so the fries are like my crack cocaine...I try to stay away or just get a kid's meal :-)
Love and hugs to all of you, be back soon. xo
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Carpediem, thanks for the update. So good to hear from you.
Sending my most loving thoughts to Cin, Elaine, Ric, and all you wonderful ladies today.0 -
yay Cin is home!!! Thanks elaine!
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Hi Cindy and everyone, DH & i had a great break away without the kids.
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Cindy, thinking of you and your family, sending hugs and rayers.
Ali68, happy you had a break away, we all need those once in a while.
Hugs to all.
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Thinking of all of you...Cindy, I hope you're enjoying your time at home with your granddaughter, and the rest of your family.
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Sending lovingkindess to Cin, Rick, Elaine, and your family. Hoping that new grandchild continues to inspire and comfort you. I must confess that I am not a "baby person" but I do know that when a baby looks at you and gurggles or smiles or giggles or laughs - well, that just makes your whole mood lighten up!!!! There were 2 babies in church this morning - such blessings!
Also keeping each of you who are supporting Cin and her family in my heart. We have been brought together by a wonderful woman, and I think often of each of you, hoping Ali is finding some peace each day despite all the family and personal stuff going on. Hoping things are settling down for Carpediem - such a big move! And hoping for moments of peace and joy for each of the rest of you each day.0 -
Hi Cindy, sending you a big hug and lots of laughter.
Hi Linda, hope your doing ok ?
Me, I'm joining slimming world tonight as I can't shift the 7 lbs.
My lovely dog has turned into a monster so more stress!!!
Hope everyone is ok and doing well. DH and I going away this Saturday for a night of no kids or dog.0 -
Oh, a night away from kids and dog!!! Enjoy a little peace and quiet!!!
I am hanging in there, one day at a time. I have found a new addiction called "Zentangles." You can google it and find out about it - basically it is an abstract art form that is great for "being in the moment" with something similar to doodling, but more mindfully. I took a basic class, and am signed up to take 3 more classes in the next month or so. When I get back to my PC I will try to post some pics - I just can't seem to figure out how to do that with my iPad, and I tend to use the iPad most of the time now. I also cannot put little emoticons into my posts.
I am struggling with the LE issues, and some days are better than others. Truly it has been a factor in any future treatment decisions I make. I have been given a 6-week reprieve from the MO for visits, but have PET scan and labs, then will see if the current meds are doing anything. If they are, great, because I am tolerating them fairly well, but if they aren't..... well, I am not going there right now. Back to the Zentangles and art journals!!!!
Weather has been great, the herb garden has gone wild and overgrown its borders, DH is totally appalled and I am enjoying the wildness... we laugh at each other's reactions to the mess and tangle of plants. I find beauty, he finds a mess, LOL!!!
My neighbor and I are going for a girl's night out next month to see an opera. I have only been to one other opera about 40 years ago, loved it, and am looking forward to this one in October.
I miss working, miss my students, miss the collegiality of being part of an exciting faculty. I miss my music, the ability to participate in band or orchestra, but am singing in a choir, so that helps. I go to weekly conferences for my profession, get excited over the latest research and wish I had another 20 years for a career ahead of me, but am grateful that I still understand what they are talking about and can have conversations with those scientists doing the current research. I am filling my time with new areas of learning and growth, am happy I get to do more art (had always wanted more time to paint, and now I am trying to take advantage of that when I feel OK).
Fatigue and pain still plague me, but both are better than they were 6 months ago, and I am having more good hours each day than bad hours, which is also much better than 6 months ago (even a month ago!). I have friends and family who love me, and I love them. They know I am doing the best I can with the situation I have been given, and I know they will be there if and when I need them. Learning to love has been one of the most difficult lessons of this life, and I am sorry cancer had to be the catalyst to get me to those lessons. I always knew I loved, but it was a more superficial knowledge, and now I have a deeper appreciation for what love and faith are about. And I have always been about the learning ....
I think of each and every one of you every day. And I am thankful that Cindyrose started this thread, and hope she is comfortable and having moments of peace, and I KNOW she is surrounded by love. And I hope that her family feels the love from other family members and from those of us on this thread.
Peace and Namaste.0 -
Linda, I'm so glad you're feeling better and are able to take advantage of more time for art. I will definitely check out the zentangles.
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Hi to all, love to Cin, Linda, Ali, everyone! I'll be back soon to write you each more but Cin, hope you have some good energy this week to love up on that sweet grand daughter! Ali, awesome on the time you and hubby are spending away from the kids, so good for you both. Linda, your garden sounds amazing! I need to get something started here, I'll post more pictures soon - looks like the surface of the moon, feels like the surface of the sun! I am getting settled in, but still seeing funny things - like this scene next to us at a stop light in front of the mall!
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Awesome picture carp!
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Great pic!!! that would be wonderful to see. Hugs
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Hi to all and especially wishing Cindy strength and good happy days at home.
Great to see such a long post from you Linda and glad you are enjoying nature and the artwork and feeling a little better these days.
Great pic Carpe - looks like he's about to say 'nice weather we're having, isn't it?'
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Hi everyone, hot sunny weather here and we go away tomorrow. Just had results from smear test, high abnormal. Not telling the family until I know something is wrong, should I be worried. I feel a bit sick thinking about it.
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Ali, what is a smear test? I understand not sharing with family until you know a little more. I am finding that I tell my family less and less right now, just basics of what they need to know in order to support me. They don't need all the gory details most of the time. Go have a wonderful time with your DH!!!! Be IN THE MOMENT and enjoy each of those, and don't worry about the test until you get back.
Carpe, I think of you often, enjoyed your photo immensely! You are in a part of the world that desperately needs some level heads leading and some love and kindness toward each other to bring some peace and end violence. And in the midst of all that, I am so glad you (and others) can find moments of humor and beauty.
Wren, Goodprognosis, leggo, heymoose, blondie, itsjustme, and all the rest of you: sending you much lovingkindness today.
Cin, Rick, Elaine: sending you lovingkindness and prayers for peace and comfort.
Today I had a fitness test, found that I DO have strong legs and can still walk a goodly pace of 3.2 mph on flat surface! Upper body strength is POOR, and I am so paranoid about doing anything to worsen this stupid LE, but I saw my PT today, and we have a good plan in place. I am working SLOWLY to increase strength and endurance, and so far am doing well. I figured if I have 6 months or more left to live, I may as well try to get healthier overall so I can enjoy it. If the MO says less than that, I am going to just get fat and happy, quit pushing myself, read, watch movies, and do as much art as I want and forget about wasting time on the body. Geez, it takes a lot of time and effort to take care of these mortal bodies, and yet I know that they (our bodies) are the tools with which we fulfill the DOING that we are called to do, and the tools with which we do things that we enjoy. So on to DOING!!! (Oh, yes, I know we are supposed to "be in the moment" and enjoy "just being" but sometimes I just want to be super-active!!!!).
Hugs, y'all!0 -
Test for cancer of cervix
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ali, thanks. I forgot about those Pap smears .... haven't had to do one in many years ... one of the blessings of losing body parts at a younger age!
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First of all, Cin, I hope you can check in soon or that Elaine stops by for a visit. Hope you are still at home and comfortable!!
Hello to leggo, goodprognosis and heymoose - glad you liked the camel picture! It was hilarious! My husband roled the SUV window down and they had a staring contest at the (very long) stop light.
Hi Ali, I am so sorry. Having a hysterectomy was the best thing ever - I was done having babies and tired of abnormal paps, uterian fibroids, heavy periods, etc - I finally just said take it all, NOW!!! Well I kept my ovaries so I didn't need estrogen and feed my breast problems...which was rolling the dice since we ovarian cancer in the family, yoo. I've had abnormal paps and the second one came back fine. I've stopped telling my family things at this point until I find out I need surgery, figure there is no sense putting them through the emotions until I"m sure and have had several opinions. Anyhow, I hope they get it resolved, sounds like things there were going pretty well for you!
Linda, I love it - "on to doing"!! I used to work for a thinktank in DC and we called it a DO tank! I really love it over here. I am learning so much about Middle Eastern women in burquas - they are strong. They tell their husbands off in public. They push to the front of the line. They wear designer clothes underneath their robe, and wear $1000 louboutin shoes and carry expensive purses. They are beautifully made up, even if you can only see their eyes. Yesterday a woman was arguing with a shopkeeper and she looked at me and rolled her eyes. Loved it, made me laugh! I am keeping an open mind, but it's hard no to have an adrenaline rush when someone who looks like bin Laden's twin brother is walking towards you in a mall!
Just wanted to say hi, ladies! I'll upload more pics soon, glad you liked the camel! Hugs!
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Cindy, thinking of you. Elaine, hope you are well.
Has anyone heard from either? I can't seem to shake an uneasy feeling that something's wrong.
Carp, I'd love to see more pictures. It's so cool to see pictures from your neck of the woods. Stuff I'd never see in a million years.0 -
Elaine was last seen Sept. 6. I agree ... it is a long time since we have heard from her. Does anyone have a phone number or email for Elaine to contact her? I have a phone number for Cindy, but am very reluctant to call it right now - I have left messages in the past, but I don't know if it takes too much energy to even listen to them (I know some days I just don't want to deal with voice mail myself!).
In any case, sending lovingkindness to Cin, Elaine, Rick, and to all on this thread who are supporting them.0 -
Linda, I know what you mean. Sometimes you don't even have the energy or desire to talk. Just carrying on a simple conversation is too much. I hope Cindy and Elaine are okay and just taking this time to focus on what they need instead of posting.
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I refused chemo 9 years ago when my bc became stage 4 and I was given months to a year to live. I was yelled at, brow beaten and basically bullied by doctors that I HAD TO TAKE CHEMO. I still refused. My logic was if I was dying anyway why make myself miserable besides.
I have done well over the years but slowly the disease has progressed and now is getting quite nasty. I still stand by my decision as I can only take so much of the "painful help" that is offered.
I wish you best on your journey
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Hi lazeechic, I love your name! Welcome to our forum to support our friend Cindy. Thank you for sharing your story and the "painful help" comment makes so much sense. I hope your days are as painfree as possible, and thanks for being part of this thread. We hope Cin or her sister, Elaine, check in with us soon and will read all of these notes of support!
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Lazeechic, very nice to "meet" you. Welcome. I wish you very many peaceful, pain-free days.
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Hello Dear Ladies,
Today is the day we mark the end of Cindy's pain.
I will write more later, I was on the way to work when Rick called to tell me.
Hugs and Happiness, Elaine0 -
Elaine, I'm sad and happy my dearest friend Cindy is at peace.
Will write again need to have a good cry.0 -
Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
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We're terribly sad to lose Cindy. Our deepest condolences to her family and friends.
Elaine, thanks for letting us know.
Warmly,
The Mods
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Dearest Elaine, I am so very sorry. My deepest sympathy to you and your family. Cindy was such an inspiration to us. To have to endure bone cancer and breast cancer in a lifetime and still have a beautiful soul intact just shows what a remarkable woman Cindy is. Much love to you and your family and I hope you all find peace in the days ahead.
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